Southern Cinderella
by livylu327
Summary: Tess Miller is an extremely advanced witch from Louisiana who gets accepted to Hogwarts, not only for her extraordinary talents in witchcraft, but also because she has a destiny to fulfill. SB/OC. Better than it sounds, I promise.
1. Prologue

Prologue

How did my life end up like this? How is it that I not only ended up with my soul mate, but also with friends that I know would do anything for me, and I them in return?

I won't say it was easy, because it was anything but, but it was certainly worth it when all was said and done.

Oh, I'm sorry, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. My name is Tess, but for some reason everyone insists on calling me Penny, and this is my story.

It all started in Carroll County, MD, on Pheasant Run Drive, in house number 301, where I spent the first eight years of my life, dreaming of a boy who's face I could never quite make out...

* * *

**A/N: **Hi! Alright, so this is my prologue, and I know it's really short, but I couldn't think of anything else to put into it. Right after I post this I'm going to get chapter one up, and I should have chapter two written and posted within the next couple of days. Please bear with me. I know this seems like any other Sirius fic, but I promise, it's not. This is just really knew to me. I've already got the plot line sorted out, and I just need to get it down on paper now. Thanks for reading!


	2. Two Terrible Lives

Chapter 1- Two Terrible Lives

4:30 A.M., Tess' P.O.V.

Today is the day that I turn seven. To any other child, this would be the greatest day of the year, besides Christmas. To me though, this was just any other day, sure to be filled to the brim with chores and the cruel words of my parents.

Speaking of which, I need to get out of bed and start making breakfast. That's right, I make breakfast every morning, and every other meal as well. I also clean the entire house, (Which is three stories high.) wash, dry, and iron all the dirty clothes, take up whatever chores Matilda, the family maid, has to do, (The poor woman is seventy-six years old and has arthritis in her knees, and my parents hired her to scrub all the floors by hand.) wash all the windows, the car, and the dishes, make the beds, and have all this done by three o'clock.

Why three o'clock you might ask? Well, unbeknownst to my parents, Matilda takes me down to the local library every day so I can self educate myself. My parents thought that school was a waste of time for me, seeing as I'm completely worthless to them, so Matilda and I decided to take matters into our own hands.

So, as you can see, I am an extremely busy seven year old, and have absolutely no time to waste.

I quickly hopped out of bed and started looking for the flashlight Matilda gave me for when I wake up every morning. I wake up even earlier than the roosters do, therefore needing a flashlight so I can get around my room- A.K.A the attic- without hurting myself.

After blindly stumbling around for about five minutes, I was finally able to find it. I turned it on and pointed the light at the small hole in my wall, right next to my dresser, which I had had since I was born. The blue paint on it was chipped and faded, but because I hardly had an clothes to begin with, I didn't really have a need for a new one.

I looked down at the plate I had left near the hole the night before and saw that the cheese I had left on it was gone. I smiled, knowing that the mice that lived with me were now well fed, and wouldn't need much more food until tonight.

I think I had been about four when my parents had told me to get rid of my little mouse friends. After seeing their sweet, frightened faces though, I couldn't do it. Not that I would have anyway. I've always adored animals, so I kept them safe and lied about killing them.

They're very healthy mice too, thanks to the diet I keep them on. Not a single one of them have died yet, and when I showed them to Matilda, she said that they were healthy enough to live at least another two years.

I picked up the plate and put my flashlight under my arm so I could open the attic door and still be able to see. I took the plate between my teeth and opened the door, letting the ladder down slowly. I started climbing down when I heard a growl from below me, nearly making me fall. I looked down to be met with the snarling face of my mother's dog, Maximilian. He was only four pounds, but don't let that fool you. He was an extremely fast dog with razor sharp teeth, and he knew it too.

I, having been prepared for this altercation from past experiences, carefully reached into my nightgown- if it could be called that. It was more like a doily that Maximilian had chewed up- and pulled out a small beef bone from the steaks my parents had eaten the night before. (I was left to eat a can of Spam, which is better than most of my dinners, if I get one at all.)

I held the bone up high for Maximilian to see, and his snarls came to an immediate halt. I was able to get all the way down the ladder before he started growling again, at which time I put the bone on the floor and slid it down the hall so as not to make too much noise.

Maximilian took off like a shot after that bone, and as soon as he started gnawing on it, I took off in the other direction, making it all the way down to the kitchen in record time.

* * *

9:30 A.M., (Same time.) Sirius' P.O.V.

I was just finishing my breakfast when my mother began screaming. _Oh Merlin, what've I done now?_ I thought with a grimace.

Bellatrix, my horrid cousin, leaned over the table to me and whispered, her morning breath tickling my ear and sending a shiver of disgust up and down my spine, "Uh oh, sounds like Aunt Walburga's found out about your collection of muggle trinkets. I wonder who told her about it?"

Sadly, before I had the chance to remind her of the steadily growing collection of stolen muggle dolls in her possession, (I believe they're called Barbie dolls.) my mother came storming through the the dining room door with father's belt in hand. I audibly gulped, knowing very well what was coming next.

Bellatrix snickered at me as my Mother ordered me to drop my pants and bend over. Little did they know that I wasn't going to be beaten, literally, without a fight.

Before either of them had time to react, I bolted from my chair and ran to the kitchen door. By the time Mother and Bellatrix had regained their bearings, I was already through the door and heading toward the House Elf entrance. That entrance led to every room in the house, and if I could get there, I could use it to get to my room.

I could hear my mother screaming curses from behind me, the spells only just missing me. I didn't pay attention to any of that though, focusing all my energy on making it to the door. _Just a few more steps,_ I kept telling myself, _Just a few more, and then you're free._ I knew that those were lies though. I would never truly be free, and I was eight and already knew this, but it was still a nicer thought than the truth.

I noticed a flash of light go whizzing past my head just before I could reach the door, only missing me by a hair. I could hear another one coming toward me not two seconds after the first one missed, so I grabbed the closest thing to me- which just so happened to be a stainless steal frying pan- and used it as a shield.

The curse hit it, and once it did, it bounced off and hit Bellatrix, who had been watching this whole ordeal unfold from the safety of the doorway with my brother, Regulus, square in the face, making her fly back into the dining table with a scream, the leftover food from our previous meal dumping on her as the table broke.

I had to stop for just a moment to laugh, in which Regulus joined in from his spot in the doorway.

I then took full advantage of my unlikely stroke of luck and ran the rest of the short distance to the door, my mother's curses coming to a halt as she rushed to help Bellatrix, who's screams could be heard throughout the entire house, maybe even the entire neighborhood.

As soon as I was through the tiny door, I whooped with joy, taking a moment to do a small victory dance. (I believe I heard some muggle children call it The Twist once.)

Shortly after I found my way to my room, the passage ending up right next to my bed. _Well Sirius,_ I thought as I flopped down on my king sized, wrought iron bed, _you've done it again old boy. Another morning, another successful escape. Now you just need to figure out how to escape for real next time._

With a sigh, I laid my head down on my pillows and closed my eyes, fully intending on catching a nap before my father comes home for lunch.

My mother will tell him all about what happened, using Bellatrix as proof, and he'll come up here and beat me until his lunch break is over. Oh yes, I can already feel the welts forming. Just another day in the Black household.

So why not enjoy the little time I have left with a nap? Besides, with sleep comes dreams, and with those dreams comes visions of a better life, with a girl who's face I can never quite see... 


	3. Relatives That Make All The Difference

Chapter Two- Relatives That Make All The Difference

Tess' P.O.V.

It's June first, I'm eight years old now, and I'm currently in the backseat of my parent's car.

Every summer we take a trip down to Louisiana and stay there until Independence Day, so for a little over a month I get to be treated as a normal child. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement at the prospect of my parents not being cruel to me for an entire month.

My father, George Miller, grew up down there, so the entirety of his side of the family lives there. We get to stay with them for free, because if we didn't, we wouldn't even go down there to visit.

My mother hates his family though. She says they're all stupid rednecks, but I quite like them.

Matilda was originally from the same neighborhood as my gran, so they're very close friends. I think that's why she became my family's maid.

She always tells me stories about all the amazing things down in New Orleans. I'm not allowed to see any of them for myself though, thanks to my parents.

We are about two hours away from our destination, and I could hardly wait to get there. The main reason for my excitement was that I'll finally be able to see all my cousins and aunts and uncles again. And then of course there was seeing my gran again, whom I love most of all.

All of my relatives are special to me in some way or another, but my gran is absolutely my favorite.

My gran and I have always been very close, ever since I could walk and talk. We always cook together, and whenever she or any other part of my family is near, my parents don't try to hurt me, whether it be physically, psychologically, or emotionally.

My Aunt Francis, or Aunt Shoog as she prefers me to call her, is another one of my favorites. She's one of the strongest women I've ever known, to include the ones I've read about, and is absolutely hilarious. She has a new baby every year, right around Christmas time, so I always have at least five cousins to play with.

Plus there's all my other cousins and aunts and uncles, so there's never an opportunity for me to get lonely while I'm there. It really feels like home to me.

The rocking of the car is beginning to make me sleepy, so I think I'm going to take a nap. I check to make sure that my parents won't need me before drifting off to sleep, my dreams filled with what seemed to be impossible circumstances, when in truth they were visions of a not-so-distant future...

_I was running trough what appeared to be a train station. I looked a bit older, about eleven or so. At least, that's how my face looked. The rest of me could have easily passed for fourteen or fifteen. I guess I was an early bloomer, as Matilda and Gran would say._

_I knew I needed to be somewhere important by eleven o'clock, that's why I was running, but I had no idea where the important place was. It was like I was looking for something invisible, something that was impossible to find._

_I stopped when I saw a girl with flaming red hair pass by me. She had an owl on her trolley, just like I had one on mine, and she was quickly followed by a boy with greasy black hair, also with an owl on his trolly._

_I followed after them, having no conscious idea as to why any of us had owls on our trolleys, or why I was even in a train station, but in this dream, I had no control over myself, which I found to be rather odd for one of my dreams. Usually I had complete control over everything, so why was this different?_

"_Excuse me!" I called out to the trotting pair, utterly confused by the entire situation. _Why do I have a southern accent?_ I consciously thought._

Before I could think about it more or see what happens next, my mother's shrill voice penetrated my dream and woke me up. She was complaining about how filthy everything was, and how the redneck children need to put some shoes on. _I guess we're here._ I thought, disappointed that I couldn't finish the dream, but happy and excited to finally be able to see my family again.

* * *

Sirius' P.O.V.

Today was the day that my favorite uncle, Uncle Alphard, was going to visit. He was going to be here for a few weeks, which meant no bed time, as many sweets as I want, and best of all, no screaming matches or beatings. I could hardly contain my excitement.

Uncle Alphard is also someone I can relate to. He and I have the same views on muggles, so I was his favorite nephew.

I plan on telling him all about the dreams I've been having as soon as I get the chance. I'm sure he'll be able to tell me something about the mysterious blonde that haunts all my dreams.

Not that I'm complaining or anything. I actually look forward to those dreams. The girl is absolutely amazing, and if she were real and I was old enough, I'd find out where she lives and ask her to marry me. Seriously.

I've never been able to see her face, but that surprisingly doesn't really matter to me.

She's kind, loving, smart, and Merlin can she cook! Sometimes all I dream about is eating one of her meals.

Yep, she's my perfect girl, and she doesn't even exist.

Bummer man.

Oh! Uncle Alphard's here! I can't believe I just spent the last two hours daydreaming about my woman. I didn't even notice him come through the front door.

"Hey! Sirius! You still in there?" he asked laughingly, waving his hand in front of my face.

I give him a sheepish grin and say, "Sorry, I was a bit caught up with something I have on my mind."

A surprised look comes over Uncle Alphard's face. "What's her name?" he asked. Is it really that obvious?

"I don't know her name, but I know that I'm in love with her." I answer.

Uncle Alphard stays quiet for a moment before bursting out into hysterical laughter. "Sirius my boy, you're truly a man after my own heart. What's this lovely lady look like?"

I smile, knowing that his laughter wasn't meant to be hurtful, and tell him enthusiastically, "She has long blonde hair, a body that any girl would kill for, and I may not have seen her face, but I know it's just as beautiful as the rest of her."

Uncle Alphard raised a brow at me and asked, "Do you mean to tell me she's an older woman?"

I blush slightly and respond, "Well, yeah, but I'm always older when I see her, so it doesn't really count."

My answer must have intrigued him, because the next words out of his mouth were, "Now how do you manage that? You're far to young to be making aging potions, no offense, so how do you do it?"

I hesitate before answering, "Well... I only see her in my dreams... That's how..."

For some reason, a huge smile plastered itself across Uncle Alphard's face, a smile that said he knew something and wasn't about to share it with me.

"I'll be right back Sirius," he said as he turned to the staircase that led to the family Owlery, "I have an important letter to send."

Important didn't even come close to describing it. He was about to write and send the letter that would set my future in motion. I just didn't know it yet.

* * *

**A/N: Hi guys, I have two things to say. **

**One, thanks to everyone that has read so far, especially to those of you that have favorited and added the story to your alerts.**

**Two, I just got a six week old puppy today, so I might be a bit slow on the updates for a while. I'll try my hardest to get them out in a timely manner, but no promises.**

**Again, thank you to everyone that enjoys this story, and I hope to write the next chapter and post it soon. Thanks!**


	4. Destinies Set In Motion

Chapter Three- Destinies Set In Motion

Tess' P.O.V.

The second I was out of the car, I was tackled to the ground by nearly all my cousins. I laughed, my entire demeanor changing. Like a switch inside of me had just been thrown.

I was in my element now. I was no longer shy little Tess Miller, that had no choice but to be bullied by others. No, I was Penny Miller now, the girl that I know I was always supposed to be.

It was finally my turn to have a say in things, and to be able to share my brighter side with everyone.

After a few minutes of me and my cousins all laughing and rolling together, I noticed a large gray owl fly over our heads and land on the table where Aunt Shoog was talking to Uncle Kenny, my father and her's younger brother.

The owl appeared to have a letter in it's beak, which I found to be extremely strange. _It almost reminds me of the dream I just had._ I thought.

Aunt Shoog took the letter and read through it, a big smile forming on her face as she read. There must've been something really good in that letter.

"Momma!" she yelled to my gran from across the yard, "I just got the letter! Everythin's goin' great on his end!"

A smile exactly like Aunt Shoog's came over Gran's face. What was in that letter?

"That's great Shoog! Tell him we're still workin' on ours, but it shouldn't be much longer!" Gran replied. What were they talking about?

"Hey, baby girl! Fetch me a beer, would ya?" my Uncle Kirk called to me.

I untangled myself from my still laughing cousins and went over to the beer cooler. I pulled out a can that read Pabst Blue Ribbon and brought it over to Uncle Kirk.

"Here you go Uncle Kirk." I said with a smile. He was playing Texas Hold 'em with some of my other uncles, and from what I could see, he was going to lose badly if I didn't help him.

"May I suggest that you bet high on this hand?" I asked in a whisper so as not to let my other uncles hear.

"But baby girl, if I lose this hand after doin' that, I'll lose a lot of money. What've you got in that pretty head of yours?" he asked, leaning down slightly to hear me better. I explained my idea of him scaring the pot, and after a moment of thinking it over, he agreed that it was his best chance at winning the hand.

"I'll bet twenty." he said confidently. Everyone immediately folded, not wanting to lose more than they had to.

"Yes!" he yelled with a huge grin, pulling all the chips to him. "Baby girl, I think you're gonna be my new card buddy. What do you think of that?"

I smiled and giggled before answering, "I'd love to!"

He and I played a few more hands before my father called me over to the table where he and Mother were at.

I went to them a bit hesitantly, and as soon as a was within earshot of them, my mother began in her obnoxious Boston accent, "We're not staying for Independence Day. Your father and I have decided that we'll stay the night and then go home after breakfast tomorrow morning, so don't unpack anything.

I was speechless. We weren't staying. I slaved all year for this one chance to be with the people that love me, and we weren't even staying. I only had until tomorrow morning to be with them. Hell no.

Before I could even register what I was doing, I was speaking in strange tongues and my vision was blood red with rage. When my mind finally caught up with what was happening, my parents were up high in the air, writhing and screaming in pain.

Not just any pain though. No, they were feeling all the pain I had always kept bottled up, the pain I had suffered at their hands.

When I finally realized that what I was doing to them was wrong, everything just stopped. My vision cleared, my parents were on the ground again, and the rest of the family were looking at me like I had just shown them the Holy Grail.

"Well hot damn!" Aunt Shoog yelled happily, "Looks like I can tell Alphard she's an early bloomer!" She was already walking toward the gray owl when I finally made the connection that Alphard must've been the one who sent the letter.

"George, I'm very disappointed in you. Hadn't I raised you better?" Gran said, shaking her head at Father like he was a small child that needed scolding. "Polly, go get Tess' things from the car. She's stayin'." she continued.

Polly, my mother, looked ready to blow a gasket. "You must be insane to think I'd give up my child to you hicks! I'd rather go to jail!"

"Well, I hope you like it there, 'cause that's exactly where you're goin' if you don't give her over willin'ly." Gran told her bluntly.

"What?" Mother shrieked, "You can't do that!"

"Oh yes we can," Aunt Shoog interrupted from her seat next to the owl, "We could have you arrested on abuse and child neglect charges, and after y'all've been arrested, we can adopt her. So you're gonna lose her either way. Why not make it easy on yourselves?"

Mother looked absolutely flabbergasted., as did I. Was I really going to stay? Permanently?

"Fine!" Mother finally exploded, "Keep the brat! But when you realize just how much trouble she is you'll be begging for us to take her back! Come on George!"

With that, Mother grabbed Father's hand and all but dragged him back to the car. She opened that trunk and threw my small suitcase on the ground, making it pop open to reveal a single shirt, one skirt, and three pairs of underwear. The only clothes I owned besides what I was wearing.

"Any other requests?" Mother asked harshly.

Uncle Kirk was just about to say no when I stopped him. I motioned for him to bend down and whispered to him about Matilda and the mice I keep.

"Well Polly," Uncle Kirk said after my explanation, "now that you mention it, there _is_ somethin' else we want."

He walked over to the fire pit in the center of the backyard and lit it with a snap of his fingers, making me jump in surprise. He pulled a small sack out of his jean back pocket and opened it up, dumping the contents of it into the fire.

"301, Pheasant Run Drive." he said clearly before jumping into the flames.

I gasped, my eyes wide as saucers. He was gone! How was that possible?

Aunt Shoog noticed the look on my face and said soothingly, "Don't worry baby girl, Uncle Kirk's fine. He'll be back in just a minute."

I was still utterly confused, but before I could voice my confusion, Uncle Kirk popped up out of the flames with Matilda in toe.

She was holding a suitcase, which I assumed held her belongings, and a cage filled with all my little mice friends.

Matilda walked up to Mother and said only two words. "I quit."

Me and the rest of the family all erupted in cheers, and some of the younger children laughed at the gobsmacked look on Mother's face.

Gran went over and gave Matilda a warm hug, whispering something in her ear. Whatever it was, it must've made Matilda really happy, because she broke out into a smile that nearly reached her ears.

When Mother finally regained her bearings, she left without a single word to me, only telling Father to start the car.

We all waved goodbye to them as they drove away, a huge smile on every one of our faces.

"Well," Aunt Shoog said when my parents' car was out of sight, "Looks like we've all got some explainin' to do."

We all headed for Gran's small house, some of us needing to stay outside because they wouldn't fit with everyone else, and after a few moments, I finally knew the truth.

Gran, Matilda, Aunt Shoog, Uncle Kirk, and everyone else were all witches and wizards. Even my parents were magical, they just hated themselves for it, so they stopped using it all together. That's how I was able to do what I had to them.

Apparently I come from one of the oldest and purest bloodlines known to wizard kind. We are what one would call "Muggle borns," and because the entire family is made up of nothing _but_ muggle borns, we have the purest bloodlines with no chance of inbreeding, making us more powerful.

Sadly though, other wizarding families don't see us this way, because if they did, they would have to admit that they are not real pure-bloods.

In Louisiana, witches and wizards don't use wands, like most others do. We don't have the need for them. We have our own brand of magic called Voodoo and Hoodoo, which is much more advanced and harder to master than any other type of witchcraft in the world.

Gran and Aunt Shoog promised to start teaching me this weekend, and Matilda promised to tell me even more about this new world I'm now living in tomorrow morning. I could hardly wait.

* * *

Sirius' P.O.V.

Uncle Alphard came back down a few minutes later, a pleased grin on his face.

"Alright Sirius, now that my business is done, what should we do?"

"Lets go get some ice cream!" I answered excitedly, no longer interested in our previous discussion. What can I say? I had a very short attention span.

Uncle Alphard chuckled and said, "I think the ice cream parlor's closed at this hour. It's nearly ten o'clock you know."

I looked over at the clock, and indeed it was almost ten. Where had the day gone?

"Alright then, how about we plan a prank to play on Bellatrix and Narcissa when they come back from school?" I suggested. Bellatrix was nine years older than me and was currently attending Hogwarts, the school I'll go to when I'm old enough. Narcissa was five years older than me, and is also at Hogwarts. They have a sister named Andromeda, who is seven years older than me and also at Hogwarts, whom I like very much. We get along very well, and between her, Uncle Alphard and I, we have our own secret pro-muggle club.

"Great idea! You go get some parchment, and I'll make sure your mum and dad are distracted so they don't see what we're doing." Uncle Alphard agreed, heading off in the direction of the office. That's where my parents spent most of their time.

I was on my way to my room to get the parchment and quills we'd need when Regulus popped up in front of me.

"Sirius?" he asked, "What're you doing?"

"Nothing really." I replied, "What're _you_ doing?"

"Just looking for something to do. Mum and Dad won't let me fly my broom."

Ah yes, Regulus' broom. The last time he had ridden it, he busted three of Mother's favorite busts. Ironic, isn't it?

"Well, maybe you could draw something? Like a map?" I suggested, hoping to get him interested in something so I could go back to Uncle Alphard.

"A map? To what?" he asked with a confused expression on his face.

"I don't know, have Kreacher bury something in the yard and make a map to find it."

"That sounds great! Thanks Sirius!"

"Anytime, little brother."

With that, Regulus ran off to the kitchen in search of Kreacher, and I started making my way to my room once again.

After I got everything we'd need, I headed back downstairs. Uncle Alphard and I drew up plans for the greatest prank yet. We were going to charm the colored ink quills my mother keeps for Regulus to play with to spray hot pink ink all over Bellatrix and Narcissa as soon as they step through the door. It was going to be great.

We packed up the plans so no one would find them before agreeing to both go to bed, feeling tired from the day's events.

I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow, and that night I dreamed of eating one of my dream girl's wonderful meals while getting a back rub. It was like I'd died in my sleep and gone to Heaven.

"_I just realized I have no idea what your name is. What is it?" I asked, my mouth full of something called Chicken Divan._

"_Oh, where're my manners?" she giggled in her sweet Southern voice, "My name's Tess Miller, but everyone calls me either baby girl or Penny."_

I smiled in my sleep. Penny was the perfect name for her. I'd seen an American penny once, and her eyes were the exact same color as the shiny copper coin.

"Penny..."

* * *

**A/N: Wow! Two days in a row! I can't believe I was able to get this one out so fast! I'll make a point to try and get them out this fast from now on, but no promises. Thank you to my only reviewer, I'm really glad you like the story so far, and thank you to everyone else who reads. It makes me really happy to know that people actually like what I write. Thanks again!**


	5. New Friends and Great Opportunities

Chapter Four- New Friends and Great Opportunities

Remus' P.O.V.

Mum, Dad, and I were currently on our way to a place called Louisiana, specifically the city of Kenner in Saint Bernard Parish.

It was said that there was a large population of werewolves there, and seeing as I myself was one, Mum and Dad decided that there had to be something down there that could help me.

It was also said that there was an exceptionally powerful wizarding clan there that may be able to help me. The Miller Clan, I believe Dad had said.

We were almost at our destination. Only a few minutes away in fact, according to Mum. I could hardly wait to get there, especially if it meant I could get out of the car and stretch my legs a bit. Most werewolves liked the car, seeing as dogs loved to stick their heads out of the window, but I didn't for some reason.

Tonight was going to be a full moon, I could already feel it. I was paler than usual, and felt like I was about to be sick. I had only been a werewolf for three years, but in those three years I had taken many notes on my behaviors before and after the full moon. It helped me a great deal to know what to expect, and also helped me keep myself in check. Well, at least until I had to change, then I had no control over myself whatsoever, which always scared me a great deal.

The few minutes passed by rather quickly, thanks to my mental rambling, and we were now driving down what could only be described as the saddest looking neighborhood I'd ever seen. The houses were too small to house even one person, and it seemed to me that each house housed at least five.

There were small children running around with sticks and ratty looking toys, and old women sitting in their rocking chairs on their front porches, fanning themselves and drinking what looked to be either lemonade or ice cold sweet tea, depending on which house you were looking at.

The smell of food cooking was thick in the air, making the climate even warmer than it already was, but almost in a good way. The smell was absolutely mouthwatering, and since I hadn't had lunch yet and was already starving, I was tempted to dive out of the car and beg for whatever they were making.

Thank Merlin Dad found the house we were looking for, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to fight the temptation any longer. The house must have been the smallest one of all, but it's homey feel made it seem big and welcoming. At least in my opinion.

My parents and I all exited the car and walked up the short pathway to the front porch. We made our way up the creaky steps and let Dad knock on the door when we got there.

The door was opened a moment later by a girl that looked like a muggle country singer I had seen once on our way here. Waylon Jennings was his name, if I remembered correctly. Poor girl.

She didn't appear to be very happy, because she had a deep scowl on her face.

"What do y'all want?" she asked rudely, giving them an expectant look.

"Good afternoon, I am John Lupin, and this is my wife Elizabeth, and our son Remus. We're here to-"

Dad's sentence was cut off by the door slamming in our faces, making us all jump back a bit.

"Well, what a rude girl!" Mum said with a sniff of disdain.

I heard some low voices and some rustling behind the door, and not a moment later it was opened by what had to be the prettiest and nicest looking girl I had ever seen. She had blonde hair down to her waist, and bronze eyes that shined with what could only be described as wonder. She looked to be about twelve years old, maybe thirteen. She was slim and petite, and when I realized that she also had curves, I blushed bright scarlet.

"I'm so sorry for the way Jude treated y'all," she apologized, her voice holding a southern twang that could make any man's heart stop, "She's havin' a real bad day. May I help y'all?"

"Yes, I was just saying that my family and I are here to see Jess Miller. Is she in?" Dad asked, smiling down at the girl.

"She's helpin' with dinner currently, but you can come in and wait for her if you'd like. Have y'all eaten?"

"No, we've just arrived here."

"Then stay for dinner! I'm sure we can make room for you." she said with a smile.

Sigh, she was so generous.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Tess Miller, Jess's granddaughter, but y'all can call me Penny. Please, won't you come in?"

It was hard to say no to her, I could tell from the look on Dad's face. He sighed after a moment before saying, "Alright, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Besides, we are here for business after all, and we haven't eaten since this morning."

Penny smiled brightly at us and waved us in, stepping aside so we could get past her and into the house.

There were way too many people crammed into the small space, but they all seemed to be comfortable. They were all talking and laughing with one another, and I could distinctly smell the heavenly fragrance of southern barbeque.

Penny led us outside and over to the small picnic table. We all sat down and Penny said, "I never got your names. I figured that a more quiet place would be best for introductions."

"Ah, yes. My name is John Lupin, and this is my wife Elizabeth, and our son Remus." Dad introduced us.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." she smiled, "It's nice havin' some new people around here. How long do y'all plan to stay?"

"Only a few weeks, maybe more if necessary." Mum answered her this time, smiling warmly at her. She must be able to tell that she's a nice girl like I can.

"Well, Gran and I'll have to show you around! You haven't lived 'til you've seen New Orleans!"

Just then and elderly woman walked out of the house, whom I suspected to be Ms. Jess. My suspicions were proven correct when Penny stood up and said happily, "Gran! The Lupins are here! Come meet them!"

My parents and I stood up as she approached, and I was suddenly a bit nervous. What if they couldn't help me? What if this is all for nothing?

Penny discretely motioned for me to follow her. I saw that my parents were speaking with Ms. Jess, so I followed Penny down to the end of the yard.

"You don't have to worry. We're gonna help you." she said, giving me a reassuring smile.

They could help me. They had the means of helping me. They were actually _going_ to help me.

I fainted.

* * *

Tess's P.O.V.

I gasped and immediately got Gran when Remus fainted. Mr. Lupin brought him into the house and Gran told everybody to take whatever they were doing outside so we could give Remus so room to breathe.

Mr. Lupin laid him down on the now free couch, and only a few seconds later he opened his eyes, all of us sharing a sigh of relief.

"Oh Remus! What happened?" Mrs. Lupin asked frantically, pulling him into an embrace that could easily snap him in half.

"Mum... Too much concern... Can't breathe..." he gasped out, making me giggle a bit.

Mrs. Lupin jumped away from him like he had burned her and waited for him to answer her question.

"I just got too excited is all. Penny told me she and her family are going to help me, that's why I fainted."

Mr. and Mrs. Lupin looked like they were about to faint as well.

"You can really help him?" Mr. Lupin whispered in disbelief.

Gran and I both nodded in unison.

"Yep, and I think I know just the way to do it." I grinned.

"What do you have in mind Baby Girl?" Gran asked, returning my grin.

"What if we made a sleepin' potion for Remus? Then he could sleep right through his transformation, and if he happened to wake up some time before the full moon's over, he'd be too drowsy to know what was happenin' or do anythin' harmful. What do you think?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea. I'll go get Kirk and Renee to fetch us some Kudzu, then we can start the potion. In the mean time, why don't you and the Lupins go get some dinner?"

"Alright Gran." I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before leading the Lupins back to the backyard.

"If I may ask, what exactly is Kudzu?" Mrs. Lupin asked me when we were seated.

"It's that weed over there." I said, pointing at it so they could see what it looked like, "Muggles hate the stuff and are always tryin' to get rid of it, but we use it in a lot of our potions, so we let it grow."

"And what will it do to Remus?" she asked.

"Well, it all depends on the potion we decide to make. We'll have to make an exceptionally strong one for him, so my guess is that it'll relax him so he can go to sleep faster, and keep him relaxed if he wakes up before he's changed back."

Mr. and Mrs. Lupin both nodded their understanding. I looked over at Remus and was surprised to see that he actually looked excited, despite his pasty complexion and the bags under his eyes.

"Do you really think it'll work?" he asked hopefully.

"I think it will." I replied with a smile and nod.

I thought his cheeks were going to split he smiled so hugely at me, and I couldn't help but return it. It was just one of those smiles that made everyone else want to smile as well, whether they knew what the person was smiling about or not.

"Baby Girl! We need you in the kitchen!" Aunt Shoog hollered at me from the kitchen window, a cigarette in one hand and a vine of Kudzu in the other.

"Comin' Aunt Shoog!" I hollered back. I turned to the Lupins and said, "Y'all can tell Uncle Kirk what you'd like to eat. We've got all kinds of things to choose from, so feel free to have as much as you'd like. I'll come back a little later to check up on y'all."

* * *

**A/N: Hi peoples! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I'm afraid it might be like this for a while. Have no fear though, I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, and should be finished writing it sometime soon. Thanks to everyone that added me to their alerts, and I hope you liked the chapter. See y'all later, and please review!**


	6. Full Moon

Chapter Five- Full Moon

Tess' P.O.V.

I was working away in the kitchen with my Aunt Cathy on my left and Aunt Shoog on my right, when Remus came through the back door. He seemed to be nervous about something, so when he waved me over to him I excused myself to go see what was wrong.

"Are you alright Remus?" I asked concernedly.

"Yes, I'm fine." he replied, "I just wanted to, um, see if you'd want to spend some time with me?"

I smiled warmly at him and said, "I'd love to spend some time with you Remus!"

"I understand, you've probably got a lot to do in here, and besides, who would want to spend time with someone like-" Remus stopped himself mid babble, seeming to only just realize what I had said. "Wait, did you just say yes?" he asked incredulously.

I giggled and answered, "Yep, that's what I said. You're my friend Remus, why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?"

* * *

Remus' P.O.V.

I could have jumped with joy. I think I may have. All I know is that the prettiest girl I had ever seen just basically said she accepts me.

I grabbed her hand and ran out to the backyard, our loud laughter being able to be heard all over the neighborhood.

We stopped at the edge of the yard where all the kudzu grew, both of us out of breath from running and laughing at the same time. We sat down, and that's when I realized I hadn't thought of anything to say or do, and now that she was out here with me, probably expecting me to already have something planned, I needed to think of something, and fast.

To be honest, I had expected her to be repulsed by my condition and turn me down, never giving me a chance. Joke's on me, huh?

Seeming to realize my my small omission of foresight, Penny suggested, "How about we get to know each other a bit better, and then play a game?"

Yes! Saved by the Penny!

I nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan. How about we take turns asking questions? Do you wanna go first?"

"Sure. Um... How old are you?"

"Nine. You?"

"Eight. We're almost the same age!" she smiled.

Wait, she was eight? Not twelve, or thirteen? I actually had a shot with her?

"Oh wow! No offense, but I thought you were a bit older." I said honestly, hoping that she wouldn't take what I said as an insult.

She didn't seem to mind though, because the next thing she said was, "None taken. I get that a lot actually, so it's no big deal. I know I look a lot older than I'm supposed to be."

Whew, that went much better than expected. I thought for sure she was going to get mad at me or something.

I must have sighed in relief without noticing it, because she smiled at me and said, "You're so cute Remus."

She then did the last thing I ever expected any girl to do to me. She kissed me. Not on the lips, we were a bit too young to be doing that, but on the cheek, which was still amazing in my book.

Before either of us could say anything else, Ms. Jess called Penny to help some more with the potion.

"Sorry, I have to go. I'll spend some more time with you after I'm done though, I promise." she said with an apologetic smile.

She then left, heading for the house, leaving me sitting there with my mouth agape and my head in the clouds. Not even the full moon could bring me down, at least, not yet.

* * *

Tess' P.O.V.

Just as I walked in the house, the Bouchards came through the front door, every one of them carrying two large sacks of shrimp each.

"Hey y'all! Uncle Renee's already out back, so y'all can go ask him what to do with all the shrimp." I told them with a smile.

"Thanks Baby Girl." they all said in unison, already heading for the back door.

I think I should explain something about the Bouchards. You see, they're all werewolves. Well, maybe not all of them. Lets say _most_ of them are werewolves. Anyway, every full moon they and the rest of the family all gather here at Gran's, so that when they transform, they have plenty of skilled witches and wizards around to keep them in check and out of the neighborhood. Then, after the full moon's over, we have a huge all day barbeque, and even though this is only my second full moon, I can hardly wait for it.

I'm sure Remus will be happy to know he's not alone in his transformation this time, but for safety reasons we'll have to keep him in the house and sedated tonight. The Bouchards can be extremely territorial when in their werewolf forms, so it's in everyone's best interest that Remus stays inside and out of sight tonight.

* * *

Remus' P.O.V., 9:00 P.M.

I was talking with Renee Bouchard, who to my surprise was another werewolf, along with most of his side of the family, when he, myself, and every other werewolf there began howling in pain. The moon was finally up.

Penny immediately came and took me inside the house, practically dragging me the entire way. Once there, she sat me down on the couch and gave me a cup of what I assumed to be the potion. I was in too much pain to hold it though since the bones in my hands were now snapping and breaking to become my paws, so she had to hold it and force me to drink it all down.

As soon as the last drop of potion passed my lips, I was out like a light, right there on the couch. The pain disappeared completely, leaving me in a darkness that was surprisingly warm and comforting, allowing me to sleep through the night without even stirring once.

* * *

**A/N: I am _so_ sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. My life has taken an extremely hectic turn, and I only just found the time to type this whole thing up now. I know it's a bit short, but to make up for it, I promise there will be some Sirius in the next chapter. I also promise to try to update more frequently. I've already started on the next chapter, and I'll try to finish it and post it as soon as I can. Thank you to everyone that reviewed and added me to their alerts, your support really helps me to write faster and with more creativity. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**P.S.**

**Renee in this context is pronounced Ray-Nay. I just thought I'd put that in there so you wouldn't get confused.  
**


	7. Rings and Things

Chapter Six- Rings and Things

Remus' P.O.V.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt fine. None of the usual aches and pains the full moon always brings, no stinging from new cuts, and I wasn't disoriented.

I sat up and immediately noticed two things. One, I was naked, but was being covered by a blanket, thank Merlin. And two, Tess was right next to me, asleep, with her head resting on the armrest where my pillow was.

My heart didn't beat for a full minute.

Had she seen me change? Was she afraid of me? Had she seen me naked?

* * *

Tess' P.O.V.

I woke up to find Remus staring at me like a deer in the headlights.

"What's wrong?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep. I had stayed up until five this morning watching over him, just in case he woke up and needed another dose of his sleeping potion. When he changed back I figured it would be alright for me to sleep for a little while. I had a really great dream too. I'll have to write it down in my diary later, so I don't forget it.

"Nothing!" Remus yelped, looking even more startled than before. He was starting to worry me.

"You sure? You seem to be pretty shaken up about somethin'." I said as I sat up and stretched out my back. Who knew that leaning on a stool while you sleep could make you so sore in the morning?

Remus gave me an unsure look before asking quietly, "Did you see me change last night?"

Realization hit me like a sixteen wheeled truck. He was acting strangely because I had seen him change, meaning I had seen him naked.

"Yes, I did." I started in a soothing voice, "But I've also seen all my uncles change, so it's nothin' to freak out over. Besides, it's not like you could help it."

Remus turned as red as a tomato, but he still seemed to calm down a bit.

"Alright. Just making sure I didn't scar you for life." he attempted to joke, which I giggled at.

"Are you hungry? I know a great place we can go for breakfast if you want. Or we can stay here and I'll fix somethin'? Which would you prefer?" I asked. I wasn't sure how tired he was, so I wanted to make sure he knew he had the option to stay here if he wanted to.

"We can go out. Just let me get dressed, and then we can go."

I nodded and got up to leave to give him some privacy while he dressed. Mrs. Lupin had left some clothes out for him last night so he wouldn't have to walk around the house naked in search of something to wear when he woke up.

I went up to my room to both put on some clean clothes, and to quickly write down the dream I had had.

After dressing in record time, I pulled my secret diary out from under my mattress. My diary held every detail of every dream I had ever had of my dream boy, who's name I now knew was Sirius.

I unlocked the little book and turned it to an empty page before writing,

_8/18/69_

_Dear Diary,_

_You will never guess what happened yesterday! I made a new friend! He's a werewolf like the Bouchards, and we're almost the same age! His name is Remus Lupin._

_Besides that, I have even more great news to tell you! My dream boy told me his name last night! His name is Sirius Black, and as soon as he told me that, some of the blur around his face went away! Oh my God, he has the dreamiest gray eyes I've ever seen, and when he laughs, they become a shiny silver color._

_I know he's real, and that he's out there somewhere. I can feel it. But what if we never meet? What if we never get the chance to be as in love with each other in real life as we are in my dreams?_

_No, I can't think that way. If I doubt now, it'll only end badly later. I just need to figure out a way to bind our destinies, if only to simply meet him one day. But how?_

I stopped writing and took a moment to contemplate this. How was I going to bind our fates if I didn't have anything of his? I hadn't even met in in person before, so how was I going to pull this off?

I could hear someone coming up the stairs, so I quickly wrote,

_Sorry, I have to go. I'll make sure to tell you when I figure out what to do._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Penny_

I threw the diary under my bed just in time for the door to open, very narrowly escaping discovery.

When I looked up to see who was at my door, I found Remus, fully clothed and no longer red in the face.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded and jumped off the bed. "Yep, lets go!"

We ran down the stairs, and at the bottom Remus asked, "Where is everyone? I haven't seen or heard anyone at all."

"Oh, they're all down at the French Market.. We're havin' a big barbecue tonight, so they're out getting' whatever we'll be needin'." I explained, leading him out the front door.

It was a weekend, so the whole neighborhood was alive with small children playing, their mothers all gossiping together, their fathers all talking about the latest sporting event, and their older siblings and cousins all on bikes together, almost as if they were a pack.

I recognized one of the girls in the older kid group to be my cousin Jude. She was talking to some girls that I assumed to be her friends, but something was off. A moment later I what it was.

One of the girls, the biggest one, was on my bike.

Neither had I given her permission to use it, nor had I ever even met her before. So why was she on it?

"Give me a minute Remus." I said, already walking toward the group of girls.

Once there, they all stopped talking at the same time and looked at me expectantly.

"Um, hi." I said awkwardly, "I just came over here to ask for my bike back."

By now, Remus was by my side, probably wondering what was going on.

"No, I'm usin' it right now, so get lost." the girl said, her friends laughing as my face reddened in anger.

"Last I checked, I never gave you permission to use it, so give it back." I told her, my usual calm and sweet attitude fading into one of anger and defense.

The girl stood up menacingly, and I was suddenly reminded of King Kong. The girl was really that boyish in looks and how she held herself.

She caught me off guard and pushed me down as hard as she could, bruising my shoulders and making me scrape my hands when I put them down to break my fall. I vaguely noticed her gaggle of stupid friends laughing at me again, to include Jude. Why wouldn't she help me? We were cousins for the love of God!

I got up slowly, my head down so my hair covered my face. I was seriously angry now.

"Give me my bike." I demanded, my voice low and challenging.

"Make me." the gorilla of a girl guffawed.

"Fine." I said before tackling her to the ground, knocking the air right out of her lungs.

When I was sure she had no idea what just hit her, literally, I got up as fast as I could, grabbed Remus by the hand, and jumped on my bike, pulling Remus on behind me and riding off so fast you'd think the Devil himself was on my tail.

When we were a few blocks away from the neighborhood and I was sure they weren't going to come after us, I pulled the bike over on the side of the road and laughed. Yes, laughed. I had no idea why I was laughing, maybe from relief that I wasn't going to be sent to an early grave. Remus even joined in with me at some point, and we laughed until our sides hurt.

After we finally calmed down, a truck pulled up next to us. I immediately recognized it to be my cousin Randy's.

"Hey kids, get in the back, I've got candy." Randy said with a grin, making me laugh all over again.

"Stranger danger!" I giggled. That was our little inside joke of a greeting.

"Where y'all headed?" he asked.

"Down to Myrtle Mae's for some breakfast. Can we get a ride?"

"'Course you can. Hop in, I'll throw your bike in the bed."

Remus and I did as we were told and got in the front seat. It was a bench style seat, and since I was so small, there was plenty of room for Remus and I to get comfortable.

Randy got back in and pulled out into the road, turning the radio on. My favorite song was on, Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles.

"Can you turn it up?" I asked, "You know how much I love The Beatles."

Randy complied and I began softly singing the lyrics to myself.

When the song was over, the DJ of the station started advertising a contest, one that made me listen to the details intently.

"That's right folks, you could win two tickets to go see The Beatles live and in concert! All you have to do is call in on Beatles Tuesday and guess, yes, guess, John Lennon's middle name, and if you get it right, you win! It's that simple!"

I couldn't believe it. I knew John Lennon's middle name. But the contest was on one of my training days! How was I going to call in? I couldn't miss The Beatles, I just couldn't. But what was I going to do?

"Oh wow, I'd love to see The Beatles!" Remus said, voicing my own desperate thoughts.

That's when I got one of the greatest ideas I would ever have, the one that would set my future in motion.

Randy wasn't paying any attention to us, so I leaned over to Remus and whispered, "We could win those tickets together. Do you have anything to do on Tuesday?"

"No, I don't think so." he answered, "Why?"

"Gran and my aunts are trainin' me Tuesday, so I won't be able to call in. You'll have to do it for the both of us."

Remus looked a bit scared to do it. "What if we don't win? I have no clue what John Lennon's middle name is." he said worriedly.

"Winston." I told him, hoping he would do it. "Come on, we have a chance to see _The Beatles!_ How many kids our age do you know that can say that?"

"Wait, aren't they touring in England right now? How will we get there if we do enter and win?" Remus asked, almost seeming to consider the idea.

After a moment of thinking it over I answered, "We could use Uncle Kirk's fire pit to floo there."

Seeming to find this answer acceptable, Remus said, "Alright, I'll call in for us."

I almost squealed in delight, but knowing that that would get Randy's attention, I settled for giving Remus a bear hug. "You're the best." I whispered happily.

About half an hour later we were in New Orleans, the greatest place on Earth. Randy dropped us off right in the middle of Jackson Square, only a block or two away from Myrtle Mae's.

"Thanks for the ride Randy! We'll see you tonight!" I said as Remus and I got out of the truck.

"Anytime Baby Girl. When you see Uncle Kirk, tell him I'll be bringin' the ribs."

"Okay, I will."

With that, Randy drove off, leaving us in the middle of the busy square. I took Remus by the hand and started leading him through the crowds and down the street.

We came to a stop at the end of a gigantic line that led all the way down the street and past the corner.

"Where are we going again?" Remus asked, "It must be a great place if the line is this long."

"A little food stand called Myrtle Mae's. Miss Mae makes the best breakfast in all of New Orleans."

"Really? Wow, I can't wait to try it!" he said excitedly.

After about twenty minutes of standing in line and talking, it was finally our turn to order.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite customer! What can I get for you and your friend today Miss Penny?" Miss Mae asked with a warm smile. She was in her early sixties, and a very good friend of Gran and Matilda's.

"May I have some bacon and eggs please?" I asked, being polite as always. "What would you like Remus?"

"The same please."

"Comin' right up!" Miss Mae said before beginning to prepare our orders.

She may not have had a restaurant, but that didn't keep her from being crowned greatest breakfast maker in all of Louisiana. But if she did have one, it would put all the other breakfast places out of business. Everyone came to her little stand for breakfast, and I mean _everyone_. It didn't matter if you were the richest of the rich, or the poorest of the poor, you were still lining up to eat her good food.

"Miss Mae, may I also buy some brick dust from you? Gran's runnin' low."

"Yes, you may _have_ as much brick dust as you like. You know I'm not gonna charge you for it."

"Come on, I always feel bad about not payin' for my meals."

"Think of it this way, you pay in politeness." she smiled.

I sighed, knowing there was no arguing with her.

"Um, what's the brick dust for?" Remus asked, looking confused. I'd forgotten he didn't know what brick dust was used for.

"We use it to keep people with bad intentions away." I answered him.

"How does brick dust do that?"

"I'm not completely sure. All I know is that if someone meant me harm and they were tryin' to get through the front door, and there was brick dust there, it would keep him out."

"Wow." Remus said thoughtfully, "That's certainly a useful thing to have on hand. I never would've thought that something as simple as brick dust could be so wonderful."

"No one ever does, which makes it even more helpful. It gives one the element of surprise." I smiled.

"Is that why you knew you could trust me and not fear me? Because I could get past the brick dust?" he asked.

"Well, that, and the fact that Gran had a vision of y'all comin'."

"Here're your breakfasts, and here's your gran's brick dust." Miss Mae said, holding our orders out for us to take.

"Thank you Miss Mae, I'll see you again soon!"

"Anytime Baby Girl, have fun with your little friend!"

With that said, Remus and I headed off to find a place to sit and eat.

* * *

Sirius' P.O.V.

Life was getting a bit better for me.

Tess, the literal girl of my dreams, was becoming more and more clear to me every time I saw her, and slowly but surely, I was learning a lot about her. She's truly perfect in every way.

And that's not the only thing that's been happening. The entire Black family has gathered for some unknown reason. I have a bad feeling about it, but at least Uncle Alphard's here. He keeps me updated on what adults say when I'm not around. Apparently they have plans for me that are less than agreeable.

Speak of the Devil, Uncle Alphard just burst through my bedroom door.

"We have problems, big problems." he said, the expression on his face looking extremely panicked.

"What's wrong?" I asked, now becoming worried. Uncle Alphard never lost his cool, and I mean _never._ You could be telling him the sky was falling and we were all going to die, and he would just offer some advice on what to do in your last moments while smoking a fag. What could possibly be happening to get this kind of reaction out of him?

"Your parents are going to call in a seer after you and the other kids go to sleep tonight. They want to look into your future!"

I still didn't understand, and it showed on my face.

Uncle Alphard rolled his eyes and explained, "To see your future, they'll need to look into your past, and if they look into your past, they'll see your dreams of Penny. Now, if they see Penny, what do you think will happen?"

Merlin's. Thong.

"No! This can't happen! What're we going to do? They can't know about her! I have to protect her from them!"

"Calm down, I just had an idea." Uncle Alphard said, his usual cool returning to him in his moment of clarity. "You're a fan of The Beatles, right?"

"Yeah, they're great, but I don't see where you're going with this."

"If I could convince your parents to hold off on this until, say, the night of the concert, and I just so happened to know a place you could sneak in through to get the best seats in the house at said concert, you could seemingly disappear for the night, which will also give me time to think of what to do next. So, what do you say, in the mood to see The Beatles?"

My jaw hit the bed.

"So, let me get this straight. If we play our cards right, not only will I be able to keep Penny a secret, but also get to see The Beatles live."

"With the best seats in the house. Yes."

"Lets do it then!" I cheered, jumping up and down on my bed.

"That's the spirit!" Uncle Alphard laughed, getting up on the bed and jumping with me. We jumped and laughed for a good hour, both of us too excited for words.

* * *

Late that night- Alphard's P.O.V.

It was almost midnight, and I was heading toward my brother-in-law, Orion's, study. That was where all the other adults and myself were supposed to meet the seer. I had just sent a letter to Shoog, telling her about the concert and how that would be the perfect place for Penny and Sirius to meet.

When I entered the study, I realized that I was the first to arrive, and was now alone with bar none the creepiest, ugliest seer I'd ever met. She was said to be the greatest seer in the entire world, and it wouldn't surprise me if she was. She wouldn't be here otherwise. The Black family was one of the richest families in all the wizarding world, and only bothered with the best of the best.

She was looking at me with what could only be described as snake eyes. It was like she was trying to look into my very soul, and it was starting to freak me out.

I hadn't even noticed the arrivals of the rest of the group and was startled out of my staring match by Walburga's shrill voice.

"Alphard, sit down, we don't have all night!"

I stuck my tongue out at her like when we were children but sat down nonetheless, my seat directly across from the Snake-Eyed-Creeper.

"Are we ready?" she asked in an accent I couldn't quite identify.

"Yes Madam Gloria, we are." Orion replied from my right.

Madam Gloria, or Snake-Eyed-Creeper as I now liked to call her, nodded and closed her eyes, holding her hands over the crystal ball that was in the center of the table. Before I could think up an excuse to postpone this madness, her eyes snapped back open, a look of complete shock on her face.

"I cannot see!" she said, her voice so utterly unbearable at that volume it could even rival Walburga's.

"What?" Walburga shrieked. Nope, she was still the worst. "You're supposed to be the greatest seer in the world! How can you not see?"

"There is something blocking me, a power I have never seen the likes of is in my way."

I then realized what was happening, why she couldn't see. Penny, the brilliant little thing, must've been using her powers at the moment. When I thought about it thought, it didn't make much sense that she would even be awake at this hour. There was a five hour time difference between here and Louisiana, so if it was midnight here, it was five in the morning there. What on Earth was she doing?

"Well, can you at least see what's blocking you, or are you completely useless to us now?" Orion asked, getting straight to the point.

"Give me a moment." she said, closing her eyes once more. A moment later they snapped open in much the same fashion as before, an absolutely horrified look on her face.

"It is a child! A little girl!"

My heart nearly stopped. She had seen Penny.

"That's not possible! How can a little girl blind you?" Walburga screamed, nearly shaking the house.

"See for yourself!" she said, the colors in the crystal ball swirling for a moment before settling into a perfect view of a girl that could easily pass for a teenager, sitting by a fire and chanting some kind of spell in a tongue I had never heard spoken before. There were two rings being held close together between her fingers. One looked to be made of copper, and the other looked to be made of silver. The silver one reminded me of how Sirius' eyes look when he's happy.

When she finished chanting, the fire flared up and the flames touched the rings, melting them into what looked to be a gold band.

When the fire died down the girl opened her eyes, revealing large copper orbs the exact color of the ring she had just been holding. She seemed extremely pleased with herself, as she was smiling like she had just won some expensive prize.

She put on the new ring and put out the fire before gathering her things, heading inside a very small, yet very homey house.

Everyone in the room, to include myself, was absolutely mystified. Shoog had told me in one of her letters that Penny was exceptionally skilled in witchcraft for her age, but I had no idea she was _that_ skilled.

"We must tell the Dark Lord of her. He would be most pleased with her skills, and would undoubtedly take her on as an apprentice. Perhaps even in your blinded state you have proven to be even more valuable than we previously thought." Orion said contemplatively. Little did he know that he had just voiced mine and Sirius' worst nightmare.

"I can feel her power within the walls. I cannot track it, but I know it is here." Snake Eyes said, looking around the room as if though she could see it, which she probably could.

At that moment, something seemed to click in my mind. Penny's bond with Sirius was through dreams, which only further proved how truly powerful she was at such a young age. Her powers would only grow as she did, and I had a theory that whether she knew it or not, she heavily guarded their bond with almost impossible levels of Hoodoo, even in her sleep.

I had to keep my insane family and Voldemort away from her at all costs, and I knew just who to go to for help.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! I hope you liked the chapter! I made it extra long to make up for the wait. Thank you to everyone that reads, and remember, I love getting reviews. It lets me know that y'all like what's going on so far, and keeps me on the right track story wise. Happy reading!**


	8. Bound by Beatles

Chapter Seven- Bound by Beatles

Tess' P.O.V.

_8/19/69_

_Dear Diary,_

_Last night was great! The barbecue was amazing as always, and I think Remus really enjoyed it._

_What I'm about to tell you has to stay a secret. I made up my own spell, and it worked. I can't give you all the details in case someone reads this someday, but I'll tell you the end result._

_Yesterday while Remus and I were at the French Market, I saw two rings in a store window that I knew would be perfect for the spell. One was made of copper, and the other was made of silver. I bound them together into a gold looking ring over a fire, and I believe it'll draw Sirius and I together._

_Well, that's all I've got for you right now. Pretty groovy right? I'll make sure to tell you if anything else happens. Anyway, I'll talk to you later!_

_Sincerely yours,_

_Penny_

I closed and locked my diary before stuffing it back under my mattress. It was eleven in the morning and I was sitting on my bed, just looking at my new ring. I was never going to take it off, for fear the spell wouldn't work if I did. I could hardly believe my half baked scheme actually worked.

"Penny!" Remus yelled as he burst through my door, "That girl from yesterday's trying to destroy your bike! And Jude's helping her!"

It took me a full minute to process what he said. Then I jumped off my bed and bolted for the front door as fast as my small legs would carry me, nearly knocking Gran down on the way.

Lo and behold, there was Gorilla Girl, holding a bat in her giant man-hands. Like Remus had said, Jude was there too, holding my bike steady while Gorilla Girl beat on it.

I then knew what I had to do. It very well may get me beaten to a pulp, but that was a risk I was willing to take. Aunt Shoog always told me to protect what was mine, whether it be family or something else, and that was exactly what I was going to do.

"Get away from my bike you damn dirt ape!" I screamed from the front door.

They both looked up, Gorilla Girl's eyes looking around for whoever dared call her an ape, and Jude looking behind me like the Devil himself was staring her down. I turned around to find Aunt Shoog standing behind me, one of Uncle Kirk's thick leather belts in hand.

"Judith," she said in a voice that could freeze all of Louisiana for the rest of the year, "Do you know how angry I am at you, and what I'm gonna do to you for tryin' to ruin Baby Girl's bike?"

Jude looked like she was going to wet herself, and Gorilla Girl actually had the nerve to laugh at her.

"Oh, you won't be laughin' when I tell your mother what you've been doin' here Kimberly. She'll beat the tan right off your ass." Aunt Shoog told her, making her eyes widen in fear.

"You can't beat me Mama, we've got church today." Jude tried to reason, obviously afraid of her mother.

"So? I'll just beat you when we get home." Aunt Shoog said, looking at her like she was stupid. "Now, apologize to Baby Girl for wreckin' her bike."

Jude and Gorilla Girl, or as I now knew her name to be Kimberly, gave each other a look before reluctantly apologizing to me.

"Good. Now, why don't you go inside and get ready for church Penny." Aunt Shoog suggested, looking at me fondly.

I nodded and went back inside, apologizing to Gran when I passed her for running in the house.

Remus was waiting for me when I got back to my room, looking a bit anxious.

"So, how'd it go?" he asked, and in return I smiled.

"Couldn't have gone better."

Remus smiled back at me then, looking relieved. "Thank Merlin. I was pretty worried there for a minute."

I giggled and sat on my bed, patting the place next to me for him to sit. When he did so, I asked, "So, what do you want to do after church? We don't have anythin' planned for today, so we can do whatever you want."

He thought for a moment before answering, "Lets play it by ear. I'm up for anything."

"Well, I need to get ready for church, so I'll think of somethin' for us to do while I'm gettin' dressed."

He nodded and got up to leave, and right as he was walking out the door I asked, "Will you be goin' to church with us?"

"I'm honestly not sure," he said, "Let me ask my parents. Are werewolves even allowed in churches?"

I giggled at his question before answering, "You could be a werewolf, a witch, a vampire, or even a zombie, but if you're from the South, you're gonna be a church goin' Baptist any way you slice it. I think you'll be allowed in without any problems."

My answer seemed to relieve and amuse him, because all he could do was laugh and walk out, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Tuesday Evening- Tess' P.O.V.

We had all just finished dinner, and I had been nervously bouncing in my seat nearly the entire time. Today was Beatles Tuesday, and Remus never told me whether we won the contest or not.

As soon as I saw him get up out of his chair, I grabbed him and ran straight for my room. Once there, I threw him on the bed and asked frantically, "Did we win? Are we gonna see The Beatles? Are my dreams gonna come true? Tell me!"

He laughed. I was here, going out of my mind with anxiety, and he had the nerve to laugh!

"Why're you freaking out so much when we won? I thought you'd be happy." he chuckled casually.

It took me a minute for what he said to sink in.

"OH MY GOD!" I screamed as I pulled him into a hug.

We won!

We had tickets to go see The Beatles!

We were going to go to England and see The Beatles!

Why was my ring getting hot and tingly?

I let go of Remus and looked down at it. It appeared to be glowing. Why was it doing that all of a sudden?

"Hey Remus, can you leave me alone for a few minutes? I need to get all my excitement out before I crush you with it."

We both knew that I couldn't crush him if my life depended on it because of my small frame, but he just laughed and left as I had asked him to, closing the door behind him.

I pulled out my diary as fast as I could and flipped to the page that I wrote my spell down on. Reading through it quickly, and trying to remember as much of that night as I could in my panic, I couldn't find a single thing that could cause the hot tingly feeling my ring was giving off. _That can't be good._

* * *

Sunday Morning- Sirius' P.O.V.

I awoke to that morning to the sight of Uncle Alphard, looking forlorn and depressed.

"What's wrong?" I asked groggily.

He sighed and looked at me with utter hopelessness in his eyes. "I failed. They saw her, and now they want her."

My blood immediately ran cold. I didn't have to ask who he was talking about. His eyes said it all. "Is there anything we can do?" I forced out, silently begging for him to say yes.

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to wait and see."

After a moment of silence, I finally realized something. I now knew for a fact that Penny was real. Not that I ever doubted she was, I just had no proof of it until now.

"Sirius?" Uncle Alphard asked warily, taking my silence as a sign of anger.

"She's real! She's really real!" I yelled, a bright smile on my face.

Uncle Alphard looked taken aback for a moment before smiling at me, the light coming back to his eyes. "Yes Sirius, she's really real."

I had to find her, now that I knew she was out there somewhere and needed my protection.

* * *

Day of the Concert- Tess' P.O.V.

Thanks to Remus, we were able to figure out the time difference between here and England. It was two o'clock here, which meant it was seven o'clock there. The concert starts at eight their time, so we were going to leave in half an hour to make sure we got there on time.

"We've got everythin' ready, right?" I asked, just to make sure.

"Yep, everything's ready to go. Mum thinks I'm sick with a sore throat and a fever, and you're taking care of me until dinner. Your window faces the backyard, so it'll be easy to sneak out from there. We're going to floo to my flat in London, which is only three and a half blocks away from the concert hall. You were the one that came up with all this Penny, so just relax."

I took a deep breath and nodded, trying to calm down. My ring was making it difficult though, because it hadn't stopped burning since last week, and only got worse as the concert drew nearer. Whether the burning was a good thing or bad thing was another subject entirely, but regardless of what it meant, it undoubtedly had something to do with the concert.

Half an hour came and went in what seemed to be a blink of an eye, but by then I was feeling excited and feeling better about the whole thing.

"You ready?" Remus asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Lets go."

With those few words said, we lifted my window up as high as we could, checked to make sure no one was outside at the moment, and climbed through.

Climbing down was easy enough, but the real hard part was getting across the yard and starting a fire in the fire pit, all without getting caught.

Armed with a book of matches, Remus and I booked it toward the fire pit. Once there, Remus stood watch while I lit a match and threw it into the coals. Luckily, since the fire pit was connected to the Universal Floo Network, the flames sparked almost instantly.

"You go first Remus." I told him, stepping aside so he could grab a hand full of floo powder.

He stepped into the flames and said clearly, "9920 Abby Shire Road." He threw the powder into the fire and disappeared a second later.

I soon followed him after making sure we hadn't been seen. The swirling greens and the feeling of being on a carnival ride made my head spin, but it was over soon enough.

I stepped out of the fireplace to find a small, but homey looking flat, with all kinds of books about modern magical medicine scattered about. It reminded me of my own house.

"Ready to go?" Remus asked from the front door.

I smiled excitedly at him and replied, "You know it! We're about to see The Beatles!"

He grinned back at me and led me out the door. We walked for about ten minutes before finding the theater, where the line to get in was at least half a block long. There was a separate line for reserved seats though, so we, the only children there, were able to completely skip the line and get our tickets at the door almost immediately.

"Aren't you two a bit young to be the winners?" the ticket vendor asked when we told her who we were.

"No, because there was no age limit on who could and could not enter." Remus answered in our defense.

Surprisingly enough, she didn't argue any further, and simply shrugged and gave us our tickets.

We looked at each other for a brief moment before silently heading into the theater. There were signs everywhere inside for the concert, all of them pointing to one set of double doors. A set of double doors that would set my future in stone.

* * *

7:30- Sirius' P.O.V.

"What time should I come back?" I asked Uncle Alphard as I got ready to leave for the concert.

"Any time between two and three. That's usually when Kreacher dozes off."

"Groovy. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow morning. Bye!" I climbed out the window and shimmied my way to the ground. I took off in a run through the yard and hopped the fence. I was officially free, if only for a short while.

After about twenty minutes of walking, which only left ten minutes until the concert started, I sneaked into the back entrance of the theater and hid behind a drum set, which I quickly realized to be Ringo Starr's.

_Merlin's beard, I'm looking right at Ringo's drum set! I'm_ _where Ringo sits at every show! I'm actually _touching_ it! _I thought, not sure whether to scream like a school girl or be ashamed for tainting one of my idols' instruments.

When I was sure the coast was clear, I followed the sounds of the audience straight to the auditorium. No one seemed to notice me, so all I had to do was find a place to sit.

Miraculously enough, a girl got up out of her seat near the front row, and as she was walking away, her ticket fell right out of her purse. _Perfect._ I thought, quickly snatching it up and taking the seat.

After a moment I realized I was sitting next to a boy and a girl, the boy looking to be my age, and the girl looking to be thirteen or fourteen at first glance. I couldn't see her face because she was talking to the boy, so my guess was purely based on her well-developed body.

_She has hair just like-_

My thoughts were interrupted when she turned toward me, and my heart jumped straight to my throat. There, before me like in so many of my dreams, was Penny. She looked just as shocked as I'm sure I did, so I knew she recognized me just as I had her.

I had to make sure it was really her. Besides, what would she be doing in London? It just didn't make sense that she would be there, especially since she practically lived on the other side of the world.

"Penny?" I asked with uncertainty.

"Sirius?" she asked with the same uncertainty, and that was when I knew, all the way down in my bones, that she was in fact, my Penny.

Before I could say anything else, the lights dimmed and the auditorium was filled with high-pitched screams. I looked up and there they were, my idols, The Beatles.

After some banter between themselves and the audience, they began playing I Want to Hold Your Hand, at which point I took Penny's hand in mine.

She turned to me and smiled that perfect smile of her's, making my legs feel like jelly. I returned her smile though and asked, "Dance with me?"

If it were possible, her smile brightened, and she said in her sweet Southern lilt, "I'd love to!"

We sent the rest of the night that way, dancing and singing our favorite songs, and just enjoying each others company in general. We had finally found each other.

At the end of the concert we exchanged addresses with the promise to write each other as often as possible.

I could then say with certainty that The Beatles were right. Love really is all you need, and I knew, even though we were so young, that that was exactly what Penny and I had. We just needed to grow up more to properly show it. For now though, we could just be friends and get to know each other first. There was plenty of time for love in the future, so why rush?

* * *

A/N: Cutting it close to my once a month quota huh? Anyway, thank you to all my reviewers, my readers, and everyone that's added me to their watch and favorites lists. I really appreciate it. I love hearing what people think of my story, so please, feel free to message me and review. I never bite, so don't worry. See y'all later!


	9. Remus' Concert

Extra Chapter- Remus' Concert

Remus' P.O.V.

When Penny and I found our seats in the third row, I ended up sitting next to a girl that looked to be my age. She appeared to be sketching something in a large notebook. Being my rather curious self, I discretely peaked at what it was, and was left mouth agape at what I saw.

She was sketching a werewolf. She was sketching _me._

She must have seen me on the one night I had escaped my room! That was the night my parents decided to pack up and search the world for a cure for me.

My name was at the top of the page. She must have also heard my parents calling for me all over London.

Merlin's tighty whities! I was openly gaping at the sketch she had made of me as she looked at me with a calm expression.

"Why're you staring like that?" she asked, breaking me out of my shocked state.

Alright, I could either lie and hope she believes me, or I could tell the truth and be arrested for running amok throughout London two years ago. Lying somehow seemed more appealing than the latter.

"It's just a really good drawing, almost as if though it were real. That's why." I answered as smoothly as I could in a situation like that.

"You're lying," she said bluntly, "I know you're Remus. Don't worry, I haven't told anyone, and I don't judge you for what you are. It wasn't your fault."

Okay, she was beginning to scare me now. And how did she know who I am? And that I was made, and not born a werewolf?

"Lucy Levitt," she introduced herself, "I was your next door neighbor before you moved away."

So that was how she knew!

"I would never tell someone something so private, so you needn't worry about the Ministry coming to take you away." she assured me.

"Thank you." I said, feeling a bit dazed. This had to be the strangest conversation I had ever had with someone. Was there a book out somewhere that could tell me the proper way to handle a situation like this?

I decided to change the subject as quickly as possible, so I asked, "How old are you?"

"Nine. You are too."

She may have been my neighbor, but that didn't explain how she knew my age.

She blushed and continued to say, "I'm afraid I must confess, I've been a bit obsessed with you since the night I saw Fenrir Greyback bite you. It just fascinated me to see such a young boy be so brave in the face of such a terrible condition. I truly admire you for that Remus."

Before I could even think of a reply to such a flattering confession, the lights dimmed and the auditorium was filled with screams. The Beatles began playing a few minutes later, after a few jokes and making sure everything was set up on stage correctly. Lucy didn't even look up. She just kept drawing, even in the dim light.

"Aren't you going to watch them play?" I asked incredulously. I had no idea why I cared that she didn't seem to be enjoying herself, or why I even asked in the first place, but something I had no control over made me do it, and I was oddly comfortable with it.

"No. I just like drawing to the music. It inspires me."

I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that fact that she knew what I was, and admired me for it. Wait, how did she know about the Ministry? How bloody much did this girl know?

I looked at her a bit more closely, and once again gaped at what I saw. She was quite pretty, even prettier than Penny. She had dark hair and blue eyes, high cheek bones, and nice skin that I would bet was softer than velvet. She was clearly a hippie, if her tie-dye shirt and peace sign necklace were anything to go by. She may have been a bit strange, and had a scary body of knowledge about me, but... I kind of liked it.

Merlin's socks, I just admitted to liking her! And I hadn't even known her for fifteen minutes!

"Dance with me." I blurted out just as the song ended. _Smooth move Lupin._ I thought with a grimace.

Lucy giggled though and said, "Sure, but lets wait for the next song to start first."

She said yes! Her giggle was so cute! What was happening to me? Make it stop!

The next song started a minute later, and I got up and held my hand out for her to take. Dad had told me to always offer my hand to a girl when trying to impress her. Wait, was I trying to impress her?

We danced and talked for the rest of the concert, and I found myself forgetting that I was there with Penny. Funny how one could get over a crush in a matter of ten to fifteen minutes.

I was right about Lucy, she was a hippie. She still lived in the flat next door to mine, and wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Her middle name was Anne, which led me to calling her Lal. She tried using my initials to try and make a new name for me, but it just didn't work out, seeing as my middle name was John. She knew about the Ministry and werewolves because she came from a magical family. Her father was a wizard, and her mother a muggle, just like my parents were.

When it was time to go back home to Penny's house, whom I only remembered was there with me when she and some older looking boy walked out of the concert hall with Lucy and I, we promised to write and keep in touch as much as possible, considering how often my parents and I moved.

"What does your owl look like?" Lucy asked.

"My owl's a black Tawny." I answered.

"Black? I've never heard of a Tawny being black before. What's his name?"

"My dad decided to make a spell out of one of his feathers to see if it would help me any, but all it did was turn him black. His name's Edgar."

She laughed and said as her parents' van pulled up to the curb, "Groovy. It was really great to finally meet you Remus. Don't forget to write!"

Well, that night couldn't have gone any better, unless it had started raining chocolate. I had just met a great girl who accepted me for what I was, and admired me for it even. Not only that, but I had just seen The Beatles with said girl.

As I began walking back to my flat with Penny, who looked just as happy as I'm sure I did, I began whistling All You Need is Love, not even realizing I was doing it until I finished the song.

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter's a bit short, but I just thought I'd introduce a new character that I'd been thinking up for a while. Remus is in good hands, so don't worry about him and his love life. Tell me what you think! Happy reading!


	10. Plans and Forgetfulness

Chapter Eight- Decisions, Decisions

Two Years After the Concert- Tess' P.O.V.

I woke up that unusual morning to the sound of tapping on my window. I jumped out of bed, expecting to find Remus' or Sirius' owl, seeing as I hadn't heard from either of them in months, but instead I found two owls, both of whom were unfamiliar, and both of whom had letters sticking out of their beaks. Unsure of how long they had been waiting out there, I opened the window for them, and they both flew straight to my bed.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that neither owl looked even remotely like the other, so they couldn't have been from the same person or place. Rather strange if you asked me.

I took the letters from them and saw that they were bother addressed to me, one in royal blue ink that I found to be quite pretty, and the other in a very dark green ink, almost black.

I got a much better feeling from the one written in the pretty blue ink, so I decided to read that one first. It read:

_Dear Miss Miller,_

_I do not mean to alarm you, quite the opposite in fact, but I have been watching you and your progress in magic for the last two years. My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am the Headmaster or Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_The reason why I have sent this letter is that I would like to request a meeting with you at your home. I would like to discuss your future schooling with you, seeing as you are only a year away from going to a formalized school to hone your skills in witchcraft, and would like to see if you would be interested in attending Hogwarts next year._

_I would also like to warn you of a few things, Miss Miller; there are dark forces out there that are preparing to use you for your magical abilities, and they will stop at nothing to secure them. I would not usually tell someone this for fear of causing panic, but I know that you are much more mature than one would think, and know that you will take this warning into intense consideration in the near future._

_Once you have decided on a time for me to visit, just simply write me a letter with the date and time and send it back with my owl._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

For some reason beyond any and all explanation, I felt like I could trust this Dumbledore person. Despite the fact that he has apparently been watching me for the past two years as he had said in his letter, I felt that he truly had my best interest at heart, and as he said I would, I began to think very hard on his warning to me.

And that was when I felt it.

This strange feeling of knowing that, beyond any shadow of a doubt, he was telling the truth, and that the other letter I had received was from the dark forces trying to use me, and that everyone around me could be in some serious danger if I were to make any wrong decisions based on the information I now had.

I looked at the other letter, the one written in the dark, almost black ink, and made a decision most ten-year-olds would not have made. I decided to read the other, more sinister looking letter, instead of running to Gran or Aunt Shoog as any other child my age and in my position would have done, just to make sure I was making an informed and unprejudiced decision.

I could feel the dark energy rolling off of the other letter, but despite that, I opened it and began to read.

_Dear Penny,_

_My name is Tom Riddle. Please don't think me too blunt, but from what I have gathered about you, you are quite the bright, special young girl. That is why I would like to talk a little business with you._

_The reason why I write you now is, you intrigue me. You are so young, and yet so undeniably talented._

_I feel that you, in your current setting, are not receiving the proper magical teachings you should though, which is why I would like to offer you something very special indeed. You see, I am the greatest wizard in the world, and I would like to teach you all about magic. Things your family could not teach you on their own. That is why I would like to arrange a meeting with you and your relatives, one where we could all discuss the offer I have made. You are at a very crucial age Penny, one that can either make or break a young witch like yourself. Please do consider my offer carefully before replying_

_Your friend,_

_Tom_

Well, that was certainly interesting. I still knew that whoever this Tom Riddle was was up to no good, but he didn't know that. So, I decided to reply to Mr. Riddle first, just to make sure that I kept up my appearance of ignorance as to what he was really planning for me. I made a mental note to thank Mr. Dumbledore for his advice in his letter whenever I wrote him back.

I went over to my dresser and got a piece of paper and a pen, my favorite pen actually. It was silver- which reminded me of Sirius on a daily basis- with a little blue stone on the end of it. It was clearly a fake stone, but for whatever reason, I found it quite charming.

I sat back down on my bed and began to write:

_Dear Mr. Riddle,_

_I would be delighted to have a meeting arranged between you and my family. You seem like a truly magnificent wizard, and to be taught by you, I'm sure, would be excellent for my magical education. If you would be so kind as to let me know when the meeting might be most convenient for you, I would be ever appreciative._

_Sincerely,_

_Tess Miller_

Short, sweet, and to the point in the most southern way possible. Gran would be most proud. I fed Tom's owl before sending it off with my reply. Now came the hard part; getting Gran to agree to letting me invite Mr. Riddle down for the visit he requested, all while letting the rest of the family in on my freshly brewing plan.

* * *

Remus' P.O.V.

Things were going quite well for me for a change.

Lucy and I kept our promises and wrote to each other all the time, never once losing touch over the last two years. I know it sounds beyond corny, but with every letter she writes me, I grow to love her more. Terrible words to be coming from an eleven year old, aren't they? Oh well, they're true, and that's all that matters.

I just started school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Mum and Dad are absolutely beside themselves. The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had come to them on the first day of summer and talked to them about my future schooling, and told them his plan of what to do for me on the full moon, should my parents say yes to letting me go to school there.

As you can see, they gave their consent, and I've been having the best time of my life. Best of all, I made friends on the first day.

"_Bye sweetheart, make sure to write often so we can know how you're doing." Mum said, hugging me to the point that I could hardly breathe while she cried into my hair._

"_Yes Remus, write to us, and remember, if you feel like this is not for you, just let Professor Dumbledore know and we'll come get you as soon as we can." Dad told me, only patting my back because Mum was taking up the rest of my body with her bone crushing hug._

"_Sure thing Dad." I wheezed._

"_For heaven's sake! You're suffocating the poor boy!" he said when my face started to change from red to purple._

_Mum let me go very reluctantly and began to ask, "Do you have all your books? Toothbrush? Uniform? Regular clothes? The bars of chocolate we got you on the way here? Your wand? Your-"_

"_Darling, if you continue to interrogate him, he'll never make it onto the train in time. He has all he needs, and you know that." Dad said, giving her a gentle but firm look._

_Mum sighed and defended, "Just making sure." She then turned back to me and said, "We love you Remus. And remember, don't study so hard that you have no time for fun and friends."_

_I smiled at them before taking my trolly and heading over to the train, giving it to the porter before getting on, all the while trying not to blush in embarrassment at how my mother was now wailing so loudly that the muggles on the other side of the barrier could probably hear her._

_After getting my nerves under control, I began the search for a compartment. All of them seemed to be completely packed, until I came across one that only had two boys who looked to be around my age in it, one of whom had the messiest black hair I had ever seen, glasses, and a Chudley Cannons Quidditch jersey on. The other had shaggy black hair and seemed vaguely familiar to me for some odd reason._

_Another boy, apparently also looking for a compartment, came to a stop beside me, seeming to also be looking for a place to stay during the trip to Hogwarts. He was rather greasy, as rude as the sounds, and had a large nose, but as Mum always said, you can't judge a book by it's cover. Besides, who was I to judge? Once a month I change into a half-human-half-wolf that could kill every person on this train._

_He made no move to knock on or even open the door, so I took the initiative and opened it for the both of us._

_Both boys looked up and I asked, "Is this compartment taken, or can we sit here?"_

"_Have a seat. I'm James Potter." the boy with the glasses and messy hair said with a gesture to the seat across from him._

"_Thanks. I'm Remus Lupin-"_

"_And I am Severus Snape." the greasy haired boy cut me off with his own introduction, "And you are?"_

_The question was directed at the boy who looked too old to be wearing First Year robes, who still seemed familiar._

"_I'm Sirius Black, pleasure to meet you all." he proudly responded._

_Severus and I sat down, and James, Sirius, and I started a conversation on what houses we wanted to be in. I could tell right then that James, Sirius, and I were going to be good friends. Severus, not so much._

"_I wanna be in Gryffindor, where the brave at heart dwell, just like my dad." James said with pride._

"_I think I'd be a good Ravenclaw," I said, "What about you Sirius?"_

"_I don't care what house I'm in, just as long as it's not Slytherin."_

"_Bite your tongue," Severus rudely interrupted, "Only a fool wouldn't want to be in Slytherin."_

"_Oh, really?" Sirius asked sarcastically, "Why don't you explain your reasoning to the rest of the class then, hm?"_

_James and I laughed when Sirius went so far as to lean toward Severus in mock interest._

"_For one, it's the most exclusive house in the whole school, meaning that there is obviously some kind of power to be gained by being in said house. And besides, it's almost all Purebloods, so clearly there's a lot of money invested in such an elite house, and everything to be gained by being there."_

"_Says the halfer." Sirius scoffed. I took a small amount of offense at the insult, being half wizard half muggle myself, but quickly got over it at the sight of the comically shocked look on Severus' face._

"_How did you-"_

"_Snape isn't a Pureblood name mate," James interrupted him, "Anyone with a trained eye could see that you're a half-blood. No offense, Remus."_

"_None taken." I shrugged. At least they were honest._

"_At least I'm not a Blood Traitor like you two are. Do you know what I, or anyone for that matter, would give to have what you two have and so carelessly throw away?" he asked them in a venomous growl._

"_Half of that giant shnoz of yours? It would be a win-win. You'd be a Pureblood, and also have a normal sized nose." Sirius grinned at Severus as he delivered the insult. James and I couldn't help but snigger behind our hands, not only because it was hilarious, but also because he had a point, as mean as that sounds._

_Severus understandably left shortly after that, seething to the point that he was almost frothing at the mouth._

_After that we all talked and laughed together for about an hour, and found that we all have a lot in common,but the fun didn't last for very long. It was interrupted by a rather girlish scream, and a loud, horrid cackling._

_James, Sirius, and I all stuck our heads out of the compartment to see what the ruckus was about, and were met with a terrible, yet hilarious sight._

_Guessing by their uniforms, a gaggle of what I assumed to be Slytherin students had a rather chubby boy hanging upside down in mid air, making it obvious that he had been the one to make the girlish scream we had heard. Thank goodness he was wearing pants under his robes, but it looked like they were getting ready to tear those off of him to make things even worse._

_Sirius pulled a wand out of seemingly nowhere and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"_

_The girl who had apparently been the one to put the spell on the poor boy, and who had also made the cackle we had heard, suddenly had her wand flung out of her hand, which Sirius caught with the speed of someone who had performed such a spell more than once before._

_The boy landed face first on the floor in front of us, but quickly collected himself and ran through our open compartment door. The girl looked like she was going to do something unspeakable to Sirius, so we all followed the boy's lead and ran in after him, locking the door behind us._

"_You guys saved my life! Thank you!" the boy squeaked, his watery blue eyes shining with gratitude._

"_It's not a problem mate. What did you do to tick her off like that anyway?" Sirius asked him, evidently knowing who that awful girl was._

"_I don't know, all I remember is that one second I was looking for the bathrooms, and the next I was up in the air."_

_James laughed after the boy was finished speaking and said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this mate, but the bathrooms are on the other side of the train."_

_Sirius and I started laughing with him, and only got louder when the poor guy blushed as red as a cherry._

"_I'm Sirius Black, and these two are James Potter and Remus Lupin. What's your name?" Sirius asked, still with a grin on his face._

"_Peter Pettigrew, and if you'll excuse me, I need to go use the bathroom. Bye!"_

_He left the compartment in a hurry, almost looking like he was scurrying away, leaving us laughing in his wake._

This is going to be a good year..._ James, Sirius, and I all unknowingly thought at the same time._

Later that night I was sorted into Gryffindor, and wrote my parents all about my day before going to bed that night. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was forgetting something, something that I shouldn't have forgotten, but had. What was it?

* * *

Sirius' P.O.V.

Life was good.

I was just starting my first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and things were already looking up for me.

The school is divided up into four different houses, and my house, naturally, is the best. It's called Gryffindor, and I've already made some great friends there. I met them all on the train ride up here actually.

"_Goodbye Sirius, make us proud for once." were the words of parting from my father. All I did was nod and walk through the barrier that led to platform 9¾, dragging my trolly behind me. Once through, I was met with the sight of hundreds of students of all ages saying their goodbyes to their parents and whoever else was there to see them off before boarding the gigantic, crimson train with the words Hogwarts Express painted on the side of it in big gold lettering._

_At the sight of it, I immediately felt calmer, as if though now that I was here and out of the oppressive sight of my parents, I could breathe._

_I made my way through the throngs of people toward the train, boarding it after first giving my luggage to one of the porters, and began looking for a place to sit._

_I, looking older than the standard eleven year old boy, was invited to sit in several different compartments, all of which housed girls from age eleven to fifteen. _I could get used to this._ I thought with a smirk that made several girls squeal and sigh as I continued to make my way through the huge train, but feeling gut-renchingly guilty for thinking such a thing immediately after with not even a clue as to why. Why did I feel guilty? It wasn't like I had a girlfriend or anything._

_I decided to sit in one of the only empty compartments left, but I wasn't alone for long. Not a moment after sitting down did the compartment door open to reveal a boy with messy black hair, glasses that could have been John Lennon's, and a Chudley Cannons jersey on. _Man after my own heart._ I thought in approval._

"_Can I sit here?" he asked._

"_That depends," I replied, "Who's your favorite Chudley Cannons player?"_

"_Quimbly Marks of course! He's the greatest Seeker in the British league! Shame they've been on such a horrible losing streak though." he answered enthusiastically._

"_Good answer," I said with an approving nod, "Take a seat wherever you like."_

_A moment later the door opened again to reveal not one, but two more boys. The first one I noticed had light brown hair, bags under his eyes, and was wearing his school robe open so I could see the clothes he wore underneath. They looked like they had been torn apart and resown on numerous occasions._

_The other one had greasy black hair and a nose that I was trying with all my might not to laugh at. The thing was huge! He could have fit a grown man in each nostril!_

"_Is this compartment taken, or can we sit here?" the one with the bags under his eyes asked, and I was suddenly hit with a very random notion. He, the boy with the glasses, and I were all going to get along famously. Don't ask me why I suddenly thought that, but it felt right. Definitely couldn't say the same for Greasy McBignose over there though._

"_Have a seat. I'm James Potter."_

"_Thanks. I'm Remus Lupin-"_

"_And I am Severus Snape." Greasy McBignose interrupted. Oh yeah, we definitely weren't going to get along, not if he was that rude all the time. "And you are?"_

_The question was directed at me, to which I proudly replied, "I'm Sirius Black."_

_They sat down and James, Remus, and I started talking about which houses we all wanted to get sorted in to._

"_I wanna be in Gryffindor, where the brave at heart dwell, just like my dad." James told us._

"_I think I'd be a good Ravenclaw. What about you Sirius?" Remus asked me._

"_I don't care what house I'm in, just as long as it's not Slytherin."_

"_Bite your tongue." Snape interrupted me. I was seriously starting to think that he made interrupting people a hobby of his. "Only a fool wouldn't want to be in Slytherin."_

"_Oh, really? Why don't you explain your reasoning to the class then, hm?" I asked, feigning interest by leaning forward to hear him better, making James and Remus laugh._

"_For one," Snape started self righteously, "it's the most exclusive house in the whole school, meaning that there is obviously some kind of power to be gained by being in said house. And besides, it's almost all Purebloods, so clearly there's a lot of money invested in such an elite house, and everything to be gained by being there."_

"_Says the halfer." I scoffed in irritation. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up in Slytherin, he certainly was annoying enough to be there, half-blood or not. The look of utter shock on his face was quite amusing though._

"_How did you-"_

"_Snape isn't a Pureblood name mate," James explained for me. "No offense, Remus." he added._

"_None taken." Remus shrugged._

"_At least I'm not a Blood Traitor like you two are," Snape snapped at James and I, "Do you know what I, or anyone for that matter, would give to have what you two have and so carelessly throw away?"_

_The first thing I could think of to say was, "Half of that giant shnoz of yours? It would be a win-win. You'd be a Pureblood, and also have a normal sized nose." I hadn't noticed it until I had finished speaking, but I had been grinning as I blatantly insulted my newest acquaintance._

_James and Remus were sniggering and snorting behind their hands at what I'd said, and with their laughter brought a now absolutely livid Snape to leave the compartment._

_After James and Remus calmed down, we all began talking again, sharing jokes and learning a lot about each other. But of course, something just _had _to interrupt my fun, just as things usually went for me._

_Outside in the hall we all heard a very loud, very girlish scream, and a cackle that I knew all too well._

Bellatrix. _I thought with a cringe._

_We all got up and looked outside, and sure enough, my dearest cousin had some poor kid hanging upside down in mid air. I was just thankful that the guy had pants on under his robe, he was rather large for a boy our age, and I don't mean tall, and I really wasn't in the mood to be mentally scarred at the moment._

_Knowing I had to do something to stop my cousin and her gang of what could only be described as ugly thugs, I pulled my wand out of my jean pocket and said the only spell I knew and was actually good at. "Expelliarmus!"_

_Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hand, and I caught it just as I always did whenever she tried to duel me._

_The boy who had been floating upside down fell flat on his face, but quickly got up again and ran into our compartment, which we had left open by accident._

_Bellatrix looked like she was going to perform an Unforgivable Curse on me at any moment, and with that terrifying thought in apparently all our minds, James, Remus, and I all high-tailed it back into the compartment, locking the door safely behind us._

_We turned to the now safe boy just as he said, or more rather squeaked, "You guys saved my life! Thank you!"_

"_It's not a problem mate." I replied, "What did you you do to tick her off like that anyway?" Knowing Bella, it couldn't have been something serious. She probably thought he breathed the wrong way, the crazy bitch, and decided to teach him a lesson for it._

"_I don't know, all I remember is that one second I was looking for the bathrooms, and the next I was up in the air."_

_James started laughing after the boy was finished recounting what had happened and said, "I hate to be the one to tell you this mate, but the bathrooms are on the other side of the train."_

_Remus and I burst out laughing, and only got worse as the poor kid turned bright red._

"_I'm Sirius Black, and these two are James Potter and Remus Lupin." I introduced after we settled down. "What's your name?"_

"_Peter Pettigrew, and if you'll excuse me, I need to go use the bathroom. Bye!"_

_With that, Peter left not a minute later, inducing more laughter from the rest of us as he scurried like a scared mouse out of the compartment._

This is going to be a good year... _James, Remus, and I all thought simultaneously._

Mum and Dad almost disowned me when they heard I was sorted into Gryffindor later that night. Uncle Alphard couldn't have been more proud of me, even though in his school days he had been in Slytherin like the rest of the family. He was just happy I'd found a way to "dishonor" and "shame" my family further while being so far away from home.

No, wait, that place wasn't a home. It was a place where I was forced to dwell until further notice. Yes, I liked that much better than calling it an actual home. It suited the circumstances.

I just couldn't help but feel I was forgetting something though, something big, something that one would think I would always remember. I had never felt this way about forgetting something before, and it was really bothering me. What the bloody hell was it?

Oh well, I would sort it out later. Besides, it couldn't have been that important if I'd so easily forgotten about it, right?

Right...?

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know, I'm the worst author in the world for not updating sooner, and I'm sorry. In my defense, I just moved from Alaska to Pennsylvania, and have been trying to write this chapter the best I can for months. So just know that even if I don't update for months on end, I haven't forgotten this story or you readers, and do intend to finish it eventually. So, please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!**


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